Yedioth Ahronoth: Give the army back control in the West Bank

General


Recently, three interesting and important documents were published about what is happening in the West Bank, which did not receive the public and media attention they deserved. The first was the retirement speech of the head of the Central Command, Major General Yehuda Fuchs; the second was the book by the head of the Shin Bet, Roni Bar, about the dangerous actions of the Minister of Security and others; and the third was the summary of the investigation by the head of the Central Command, Major General Avi Ballut, into the Jewish riots in the village of Jit. Before that, a similar joint statement was published by the Chief of Staff, the head of the Shin Bet, and the former Inspector General (of Police).

These documents lead us to the appropriate diagnosis of the crossroads we have reached: First, a network of Jewish terrorist organizations operates in the territories. A terrorist organization is an organized group that carries out acts of harm to life or property in order to instill fear (‘terrorism’) in a
nother group in order to push it to do something desired by the terrorists, namely, to expel Palestinians from their places of residence and residence in order to take control of them, settle them and annex them to Israel.

Secondly, the Shai Police Brigade is not acting against these terror organizations as required by law, international law and police values. There is evidence of regular police failure to intervene in events, arrest rioters, investigate suspects and bring them to trial. The police’s behavior reflects the spirit of an atmosphere of political patronage, strongly infused by the far-right MKs and their representatives in the government.

Third, the organizational, professional and operational coordination between the army, which is the sovereign in the territories, and the police, does not allow the army to perform its duties, according to the law, international law and the values ??of the Israeli army, in defending the daily lives of those living in the territories, including the Palestinians.

Fourth, the residents of the settlements where the activists in the terrorist organizations live do not act against them and are content with a few denunciations in weak language.

This is the junction of Jewish terrorism. From this junction two paths break out. In the first path, the terror organizations operate almost unhindered, on the way to their violent takeover of all the territories and then of the entire State of Israel. In the second path, the state’s security apparatuses perform their functions in active defense of the state’s existence and its conduct in the territories, according to its values ??and principles, in complete contradiction to the plans of the terror organizations, the plans of all those who provide them with government patronage and all those who silently support them.

Progress on the second, formal, appropriate path will only be possible if we take meaningful steps. For example,

We propose to consider canceling the activities of the Shai Police Brigade, or at least removing it fr
om all vital areas of activity, especially the area of ??preventing the activities of Jewish terrorist organizations. The task of preventing these activities must be returned to the IDF, and soldiers must be allowed to arrest rioters, investigate suspects and bring them to military trial on charges of terrorist activity. The IDF has left part of its responsibilities in the territories in the hands of the police, and the police did not fulfill its duty. Now the responsibility, with the necessary powers, must be returned to the IDF.

It is not difficult to understand why the army left responsibility and authority in the hands of the police, as it is not keen on operating against Israeli civilians. But what we understand from the head of the Shin Bet and the commanders of the Central Command is that the army now has no choice.

These events must be taken out of the hands of the police and full responsibility, with all necessary powers, must be returned to the army, assisted by the Shin Bet.

The danger from the
Jewish terror organizations, as the Shin Bet chief presented it and as is understood from the statements of the Central Command commanders, is no less than a danger to the very existence of the State of Israel. This must be changed immediately.

Source: Maan News Agency